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Did you notice that online business is growing faster than we imagine? It is the best way to communicate or even selling online since we’re living in a modern world. Just one click and you’re good to go.

But did you also realize that we can use offline business that can be more profitable than online services? Here’s a best offline marketing strategies that we can use.

This works for any big ticket item you are selling one-on-one. For example, maybe you sell SEO services to brick and mortar business. Or perhaps you sell coaching over the phone to people who got a free 20 minute session with you.

This works in print as well, but it works even better when you’re actually talking to the person.

Let’s say you sell list building systems to local businesses. You’ve sat down with them, explained exactly what you can do for them and they’re excited. “How much do you charge?” they want to know.

Let’s say you charge $1,000 a month for the service. Tell them you normally charge $2,000, and explain why your service is a tremendous deal at that price. Then tell them that if they will allow you to use them as a case study, you will knock that price in half.

Here’s the beauty of this system:

First, you’ve already primed them for a higher price, so when you offer the lower price, they’re actually relieved and much more likely to say yes.

Second, in the back of their mind they’re thinking, “If s/he is using my business as a case study, that means s/he’s going to work extra hard to get good results.” Which makes perfect sense, because you wouldn’t want a case study that failed.

Third, you can use these case studies to bring in new clients. For example, let’s say you performed a service for a plumber. Now you can contact plumbers in other cities and show them the exact results you achieved in that first plumbing business. When they see these specific results, they are much more likely to sign on.

The same goes for any other service you provide to local businesses, professionals, coaching clients, etc.

Show them your ‘regular’ price, then offer the option of getting a reduced price in exchange for allowing you to use them as a case study.

One caveat: In the case of personal coaching (versus business coaching) you might want to change their name in your case study to protect your client’s privacy.

In this digitalized world, technology has made it very easy to reach your targeted audience.

Small business owners are always looking for marketing that is credible, measurable and cost-effective!

Email marketing is imperative for the success of a business. What problem most businesses face? Simply said, most businesses don’t know how to do it right. Picking the best online marketing software for mass email has a direct impact on the success of your marketing campaign.

What is Email Marketing?

Email marketing is a term defining the action of businesses sending a message. This message is sent to a group of people through the electronic mail. It includes advertisements, sales or solicitation. Any email that helps in generating customer loyalty and trust in the product. Therefore, email is an efficient way to stay in touch with your customers and promote your business.

Moreover, with the help of small business email marketing, you can easily reach a wider range of clients. This saves money and time and provides a go-to database you can tap into when you have a special promotion or product announcement. It can be said that there is no guarantee that your message will reach 100% of your targeted audience, but then again no online marketing can guarantee that.

Let’s take a look at 10 reasons why sending email tops any form of online marketing.

Small business email marketing is beneficial for all the business regardless of their size.

Email has a Larger Reach

Most of the people believe that social media is the best way to reach an audience. But they don’t understand the importance of email. In 2013, the total number of email accounts was 3.9 billion. According to Radicati, there was a prediction that number of email accounts by 2017 will be 4.9 billion.Furthermore, it can be said that email is the currency of the web. The reason is that whoever is online has an active email ID. Thus, there is no way better to than email to reach a wider range of customers. Email is growing at an exponential rate.

Creates Brand Awareness

When you send an email to your clients, you are exposing them to your brand and business. With the help of strategic planning and smart design, your business will build value with ongoing email campaigns. This will lead to you staying at the top of your customer’s mind. Further, it will increase the chances of potential customers to buy your products. As a result of this, you can turn the clients into loyal customers.

Cost Effective

What is the most appealing benefit of email marketing? It is the return on investment as the businesses does not have to incur postage fees or advertising fees. Email grows your list and contact database with each campaign sent or email list purchased.

Segmentation

With the help of small business email software for marketing, you can send emails to subscribers who meet the specific criteria. For instance, there is a sale of sports goods. The email can be sent to those customers who have an interest in sports. A report stated that those who used segmentation in the email have improved the chances of engagement.

Call to Action

Another benefit of email campaigns are that it calls to action. Email marketing is a great tool for taking advantage of impulse buying. It allows the customers to see a good offer and buy it within just two clicks. With a great call to action and link to check out, email newsletters can increase sales.

Easy to Track

It is easy to see where you are doing something wrong in email and sending multiple campaigns with different subject headers is a great way to split test and see what’s working best for your particular email list. This small business marketing software lets you track, conversion and click through rates. This provides is a chance to see how the campaign has improved. Moreover, if there is something wrong, you can easily and quickly correct the mistakes.

Result Seen Immediately

When a business sends an email, they can witness the results in few seconds. A great sales marketing plan is 24-hour sales. It forms a sense of urgency and convinces the subscribers to take action immediately.

Easy To Create

To make email marketing successful, you don’t need a huge team. You can without any trouble create an email campaign with the help of templates, images, and logos. Then simple paste or write in your message and call to action. A great email marketing software will also track your opens, and clicks and provide complete statistics.

Shareable

The customers can easily share the best offers and ideas with their friends and family. They can do this just with a click of a button. Apart from this, your customers can introduce your business to a new market.

Email will be Around

Email has been around for a lot years. In 1978, the historical first ever promotional email campaign was sent. It was sent to almost 400 people. Since its inception, email has been growing consistently. Previously you needed a developer to create an email but now you can easily send emails.Hence, creating an email list is a stable and long-term investment. It will be beneficial in the years to come.

Who can I use to Manage my Email Campaigns?

Email marketing is a cost-effective tool that is easy to manage. Choosing a good company to service your needs is important.

You’ve heard the truism that “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower”. There are tons of content marketers right now who questioning their marketing strategy and given how easy it is to lose focus to the noise of the day, and pressure from investors who want a quick return, more and more marketers are increasingly looking to turn a profit fast and ditching their long-term strategy.

This pattern of trend chasing and the illusion to profit from today’s momentum is going obsolete. Originality, Innovation, and creativity are the drivers of growth. As a marketer, your goal is to create content that offers a solution, solve a problem and to keep your audience engaged.

Churning out a lot of contents without much substance is separating great marketer from mediocre. And come 2017 if your blog still resembles a generalist and does not align with your niche, you won’t get high-quality traffic or attract your desired audience.

The days of copying of someone else ideas are over. To be reckoned with, you definitely need to stand out from the pack by offering unique and profound contents. I’m not saying that you should reinvent the wheel but whatever you do, it is in best your interest that your audience finds them unique and not some cliche that everyone is already talking about. Here are 5 tips to keep in mind as we usher in 2017.

Inspire Your Audience

A great business always respond to change not react to it. Digital Marketing has come a long way and over the past decades, a lot has changed. As competition intensifies, it doesn’t stop new businesses from springing up every day. But opportunity abounds for smart marketers. when you build a business that inspires, excites and educates, it ripples across the whole social platform. People will talk about how great your service is, they will share it, promote it and they will remember you for being exceptional.

When you offer valuable contents you get noticed by search engines too, with content that ranked high, you are set for exponential growth and opportunity to reach more audience.

Have A Budget

Setting out a budget for your content marketing campaign will help you to make a monthly projection for your sales goal. And spreading your investment across multiple platforms will help to reach a diverse audience and attract new leads. It is imperative that you allocate your fund careful to help you stamp out a marketing strategy and tactics that are not working or getting the desired results. The use of automation technology in emails and social media is increasingly the most effective way to nurture your audience with fresh contents and personalized their experience. To provide any meaningful service to your audience, you need to fully understand them and be able to tailor contents according to the various stage of their buying journey.

Market To The Right Audience

The ability to reach more audience are enormous these days but running a campaign that reaches too far across-the-board can put you in the red and may not lead to sells or conversion. You must be specific with your marketing strategy by understanding who are marketing to. Trying to sell to everyone can amount to a waste of time, effort and doesn’t work but carving out a targeted content with your ideal audience in mind will yield a profound result and increase your bottom line. Yes, it can be painstaking to focus on specific prospects but it will be worthwhile in the long run.

Understand Your Audience

Most experts agreed that content marketing works better when you build up your audience persona profiles. Knowing your buyer’s persona is important and can help you to align your content strategy with most suitable service that will keep your audience engaged.

You can’t afford to waste your resources creating content for the wrong audience. You must find out who your buyers are, what makes them tick, their buying habit, what appeals to them and what turns them off. Understanding their background and why they buy will help you meet their needs.

Revisit Your Strategy

What your audience are saying about your business matters. Your success depends on it and establishing yourself as a leader in your niche will come naturally when you earn their trust.

On a final note, as marketing landscape are changing rapidly, so also is the growth potential. Clients will demand more from businesses and expectation will shoot up putting many businesses in an awkward position. Meeting these challenges demand that you constantly revisit your strategy by making sure they are updated as things unfold.

When you hire a Digital Marketing Agency you don’t need to stress of promoting your business as you will have left the work to advertising specialists. They give an extraordinary help to building up the business in different angles. Moreover, they reduce the worry of the entrepreneur. Since enlisting an advertising agency, isn’t something to consider joke. You should invest some energy to get fitting data about the organizations you choose to work with and what decisively would be the extent of their work.

A Key to Achieve Branding Goals:

Web Marketing is the most applicable and least demanding approach to achieve the customers and this is the very purpose for the prominence of advertising agencies. These create targeted campaigns to attract new customers to your site using highly effective yet saving money methods.

The marketing situation has totally changed in global world. The creativity changed the significance of publicizing. The organization and brand are publicized to make the people familiar with the brand name.

Prior, organizations have limited choice to promote their brand on Print and Electronic Media, which was very costly. The time has changed now and social networking assumed control, companies are currently exploring advanced media which is very economical.

Establish Roles and KPIs:

It is critical to be clear about what you need done when and set clear deadlines and targets for the agency to work. Ensure that I have normal contact focuses with customers & clients. There is no excuse behind why you, as the customer sitting on the opposite side of the fence. Incredible correspondence is a certain fast track to marketing ROI. The most ideal approach to tell your marketing agency what you need done and when is to set guidelines for what you.

Uses of Latest Technology & Tools:

To get successful marketing results you need the right tools to screen your records, track information and attempt other marketing tasks. By employing a marketing agency for your business, you spare time and cash as well as save money on buying exceptionally expensive marketing tools and technology.

Why Is It Recommended to Hire Marketing Agencies?

Answer is quite straight-forward. The marketing agency has a team of professional experts who know about online media. They know extremely well how and when to utilize the online aptitude to get the best results utilizing advertising strategies. Every expert has an alternate idea when they collaborate it will make wonders. Numerous successful effective organizations are controlled by incredible pioneers, who might be specifically working with you. A digital agency does not restrict itself to simply promoting, but rather additionally has a decent resource of resource of excellent content writers and SEO experts.

Conclusion:

Consider conversing with a specialist to discover what they can accomplish for your business and your online achievement. Simply no good consultant, no good results. Consequently an organization advantages a ton taking the service of a marketing agency. Without a committed team working on the promotional strategy, it is extremely difficult for the organization to enhance their sales.

‘Microsoft PowerPoint’- that’s the name hits your mind, when your boss asks you to make a corporate presentation to a client. MS PowerPoint is no doubt a worthy presentation software, yet with the advancement of the corporate world, you need to think beyond simple PowerPoint slides. Let us now see what presentation design companies have to offer you, to make your presentation a wow.

PITCHERIFIC

If you are a job seeker or a startup company, then Pitcherific should be one of your top choices. It offers you a variety of templates particularly designed for pitching investors. All you need to do is, choose a template, specify how long your pitch is and get started. The best part is that it offers you rehearsing platform until you are perfect with your presentation. Just click “Practice” and practice until you are confident enough to deliver the final one.

VISME

A cloud-based business presentation tool which follows “no techno design” trend. From creating infographics, presentations to reports resumes product ads or even banners you can do it all. It comes packed with beautiful slides layouts that help you make your presentation design look better. Visme is free for the first three projects and then its $7 a month. The best part is that once you are done with your presentation, you have the option to either present it online or you may download and copy paste on PowerPoint and then present it. You can also share it on social media or online as an URL.

PREZI

It is another cloud-based business presentation tool which comes packed with professionally looking designed templates plus engaging images and videos. On Prezi, rather than moving slide by slide, you get to interact with the various elements on a virtual canvas thereby making it more interactive and memorable for the audience. So what are you waiting for? Make your presentation a “wow” by investing in a good presentation design company.

SLIDE SHARE

Free to use, audience-centric than a consumer or a commercial-centric, Slide Share offers a slide sharing platform for the global community. The social media option available allows you to like, comment, share as well as a profile view. It also gives you the option of inserting their files in blogs, websites as well as share on a various social media platform. So if you are looking for a large audience, then go to Slide Share. Also if you are looking for good presentation design ideas, then Slide Share’s platform is for you.

GOOGLE SLIDES

A cloud-based, robust presentation tool which allows users to create, share and edit their work with anyone even when there is no internet connection. It comes packed with varieties of free presentation themes which sparkle up your presentation. Best part? Changes are saved on its own. You can even see the older versions date wise along with the one who made the changes.

AUTHOR STREAM

If you want to share your PowerPoint slides, then you definitely need to check out author stream. It allows social media sharing, both public and private with password protection so that only those you want, can view it. It is also a video presentation maker that converts your PowerPoint slides into videos so that you can upload it to YouTube or Vimeo.

VIDEO SCRIBE

All I can say about this software that it can make your work easy. You simply need to choose your images and Video Scribe will create whiteboard style animation videos with no design or a technical know how. This video presentation maker is available on a seven-day free trial. So go check out Video Scribe and start creating outstanding corporate presentations.

ZENTATION

A video presentation maker that recreates ‘high end’ lives presentations by combining slides and videos. With Zentation, you can create a virtual presentation in just three steps. You just need to upload the video of the presenter and upload the PowerPoint presentation and finally sync both files. That’s all you need to do.

KEYNOTE

Compatible only with iOS or Mac devices, this software comes packed with its own set of Photoshop elements such as “image palettes” to make your presentation a memorable one. The best part of this software is that you can access your presentation anywhere i.e. on any Mac or PC browser. The only thing you need to do is, just sign in to iCloud.com, open Keynote and get started with your work.

I know a guy who consistently makes seven figures in his business without studying the newest, latest and greatest online marketing techniques.

Instead, he studies traditional “offline” methods that have worked for decades, not just weeks or years.

His customers love him and his products sell like crazy.

For example, he knows that people need to see an advertisement in a newspaper or magazine as many as 7 times before they buy.

So he uses retargeting – those ads that seems to follow you from website to website – to make sure he gets seen enough times to make the sale.

He knows from old school marketing that people do business with those they know, like and trust.

And when they want to make another purchase, they again go back to the person they know, like and trust.

So he does everything he can to treat his customers like family and earn their trust.

Of course he uses technology to automate everything, but that doesn’t change the fact that he loves his customers and lets that love show in every communication.

He also keeps a list of VIP clients and treats them accordingly. He’ll create a personal video for a single client, or send them a gift or snail mail letter. In fact, he does one of these every single day for his VIP’s, which might account for how well he sells BIG ticket items in the $2000 to $5000 range.

He looks out for customers much like a best friend might. When he sees something that he believes is a scam, he warns them away from it. When he thinks of something that will help his customers, he shares it the same day.

He visits client’s websites and leaves comments. He answers emails, and I mean he actually answers them himself if it’s a VIP client.

Online really is the same as offline, in that we are dealing with PEOPLE. Funny how we tend to forget that sometimes.

If you had a store with people walking in the door, you would hopefully see them as people. But online they can turn into faceless email addresses, which I think is why so many online marketers struggle.

When I was studying for my business degree and before my company was formed, I was in need of an outlet to be around other like-minded women. Years previous I was a member of the local Valley Women’s Network so revisited their luncheons.

Even though funds were very tight at the time, it was important for me to have some human interaction – even if only once a month.

Little did I know, going to these meetings ended up being the catalyst for our birth.

During this time I connected with women entrepreneurs who were either eager to start a new business or take their business to the next level. Being the former webmaster for the Vancouver Sun and Province, it was a natural thing for them to ask me questions about branding and websites. I was more than happy to share my knowledge.

Eventually conversations evolved into them hiring me so they could get the help they wanted with their marketing presence.

The next thing I knew I was in business as a web developer!

That was over 12 years ago and I’m proud to say a handful of those women are still clients today.

I have to smile when I think about it because I really had no intention of starting my own business. I was going back to school with the idea of landing a CIO position somewhere.

Turns out my calling was much more important than that – helping business owners realize their dream.

The Many Benefits of Attending Local Live Events

Fast forward to present day, I still value the connections made when attending networking and other similar events.

Recently I was in Vernon attending the WOW-Woman of Worth Conference where I had an opportunity to get to know many incredible women I would never have met otherwise. (I was inspired to write these networking tips while there.)

I am also a member of the Business Professional Women’s Group and attend meetings in Langley and Abbotsford.

The connections found at events like these have been invaluable – not only professionally but also personally.

Social Media and Online Marketing is Not the Only Way to Generate New Business

Sometimes with Social Media and online marketing being so prevalent we forget about our own back yard and the opportunities available to us. All we have to do is simply step away from the computer and check them out.

My business was literally created by connecting with people locally.

And just because Social Media has taken over the online networking landscape, doesn’t mean there’s any less value in building your business at that grass-roots level.

Do you market your business in your hometown?

If hiding behind your computer has become the norm for you, I encourage you to explore local opportunities to get better known in your home town.

Here’s seven tips, ideas and suggestions on how you can take advantage of generating business through local efforts:

1. Network where your target market is hanging out. First be clear on WHO that target market is and then do some research on where they gather.

This is an easy one if you are a B2B business like mine; there’s plenty of networking groups available tailored for that crowd.

But you might have to look at other shared interests. For instance, if your target market is very health conscious, join a popular yoga group and get to know those people who attend.

2. Volunteer at community groups. Volunteering in community groups are a great way to boost your visibility. Not only are they a great way to give back to your community but also an excellent way for you to showcase your skills and expertise.

Do a search for groups that could use your skillset. A great example is if you are a bookkeeper or accountant – volunteer to be the bookkeeper for the group.

3. Create your own Meet-up. Setting up local, more casual events on a subject you know would be of interest to your target market is a great way to build your brand visibility.

These types of gatherings can be very beneficial to the attendees where you can offer something of value to them and showcase your expertise at the same time.

4. Set up a trade show booth. Many trade shows have thousands of visitors. They are a great way to build your brand visibility and bring more awareness to your business offerings with the local crowd.

Set up a professional display and strike up conversations with those showing interest in what you are offering.

Be sure to have a way for them to get onto your mailing list by offering a draw or free giveaway. Just be sure they check off a box giving permission to receive your regular newsletters.

5. Join the local Chamber of Commerce. Even if your target market is not business owners, there are still plenty of great reasons for you to get to know other business owners in your area by joining your local chamber.

Not only can they be a great referral source for you, but they are still people who could be interested in what you have to offer at a personal level.

6. Nominate others for awards. We had the honour of being nominated for, and won the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence award in 2016 in the home based business category.

I was also nominated for a WOW – Woman of Worth award in the Business & Prosperity category. The amount of free publicity and exposure we received for each of these awards was priceless.

I encourage you to nominate someone for similar awards. Not only is it very gratifying to make someone else’s day, you also gain a lot of exposure from being the person who nominated them. Another option is to be an award sponsor, again bringing you great satisfaction and business exposure.

7. Don’t forget your business card! While some may poo-poo this, I’m still a believer in the value of business cards.

Get professional cards designed and printed. Use them wisely – always ask the other person you’re talking with for their card first and reciprocation will ensue.

Your business card is a first touch-point that person will see your visual brand so ensure you give off the right first impression with a professionally designed one.

Aside from getting out there and getting involved in local community activities, you could also take advantage of various paid advertising opportunities. Newspaper advertorials, radio ad spots, sponsorships and even billboards can all be taken advantage of at a local level.

Don’t Forget About Your Website

No matter what kind of activities we are doing when trying to drum up new business, don’t forget the importance of your website.

With every potential customer you meet, assume they will be heading to your website to check out you and your services. They might even do it right there so ensure your website is mobile friendly and shares the right brand messaging that will compel them into action and hire or buy from you.

Until ten years ago, I never would have never given myself the title “marketer” in addition to being a lawyer. I always did what it took to keep those phones ringing and e-mail inquiries coming in, but I didn’t label it as marketing, and I certainly didn’t have a marketing plan.

Like my lawyer father before me, I always had natural sources of business. Dad and I sent out our annual holiday cards, met our lawyer friends for lunch and attended bar association meetings and events.

Over the past decade, I have slowly become more and more enmeshed in the world of legal marketing.

It’s a very interesting world. It’s a profession unto itself.

Most of the large law firms have marketing departments with different positions, including business development specialists, marketing directors, directors of communications and event planners.

The smaller and mid-size firms might have one or two marketers who handle all the marketing for the firm and are considered generalists. Many firms hire interns to assist with marketing tasks or marketing consultants to keep them on task.

Individual attorneys hire their own marketing coaches or even sales coaches to teach them how to turn a potential new client (PNC) into an actual client. Some lawyers I know hire coaches to teach them how to package themselves, including how to dress, how to develop “elevator speeches” and how to network.

Over the years, I’ve picked up several tips:

Stay within your comfort zone. There are many methods and opportunities to market yourself. Unless your sole job is rainmaker, there is definitely limited time for legal marketing.

Make sure to use your time wisely and pick the one or two methods that feel the most comfortable to you. For example, if you are on the quieter side and don’t do well networking in large groups, use your marketing time in other ways. Invite a potential referral source to lunch, join a committee in a volunteer organization or find a smaller networking group that feels more intimate.

Brand yourself within your firm. If you work in a firm of 40 lawyers who all do the same type of work as you do, you must find a way to differentiate yourself.

Find your passion and try to incorporate that into the work that you do.

In the divorce world, there are attorneys who concentrate on working exclusively with men, the LGBT community, athletes, etc.

Just because you have your own brand doesn’t mean you aren’t a firm team player. In fact, by representing your firm in a niche area, you are bringing extra visibility to the firm.

Get online. More than ever, the Internet is an additional marketing tool. If you or your firm doesn’t have a website, now is the time to create one.

If your firm has its own website, make sure that your credentials stand out by continually updating your bio and qualifications. Also, make sure your website or blog can be read easily on mobile devices.

Find the time to market. Like any busy service business, clients come first. I will be the first to admit that some weeks or months, my marketing takes a backseat to all the client emergencies that arise. Schedule in your marketing time as you would any other important appointment.

Especially on the Internet, you have to stay on top of everything. It takes time to move into a good position on search results and only little time to drop down.

I have many titles and roles. I’m a lawyer, husband, father, friend, uncle and a marketer.

Each takes time and effort, and it’s not always easy to balance but I do my best. My final tip is to do the best you can, don’t give up – and the results will follow.

A large part of engaging social media posts has great content. Just having a profile on multiple Social Media sites isn’t enough to keep followers engaged or attract new customers. To get and hold people’s attention, you need to post new, trending and engaging content consistently.

You’ve probably heard that your social media content should NOT be all promotional for your product or service. Mix it up! Have a variety of different content about a wide range of subjects.

So, what do you talk about across your Social Media Channels, if you aren’t supposed to sell, sell, sell? Try these topics, put your twist on them.

1. Company: Give insight to your business. If people are coming to your pages to learn about who you are and what you do, then some background information is a great place to start. Give your audience a better sense of what’s going on with your business and why they should be your followers.

Behind the Scenes Photos

Staff Showcase

Testimonials

Product Photos and Videos

Business awards and accomplishments

Business News – what’s new?

Product tutorials

Music Playlist – do you play music in your office? Showcase what you are listening to so your followers can appreciate your taste in music.

Company #tbt – Throw Back Thursdays are always fun! Share a photo from when your business was just getting started. Let your followers see how far you’ve come.

2. Audience Engagers: Social Media allows you to interact with a broad audience of customers and potential customers directly. Ask your followers to be engaged, start up a two-way conversation and let your customers know you are listening.

Fill in the blanks: My favorite product is___________ or If I had a Million dollars I would ___________ (Be creative)

Ask Questions

Hold Contests

Either or Debate: Everyone loves to share their opinion. Get people to weigh in using an either-or debate. Ask them a question about your company (think this product over that product) or about something that’s trending.

Audience Photos: Did your followers/customers attend a meeting/event, ask to see these types of pictures.

3. Business | Industry: Many people like to follow the 80-20 posting ratio. You should post about other stuff 80% of the time and only 20% about you. Show what you know and how your followers can learn from you.

Industry News: Post a link to a news article that is related to what you do. Set up Google Alerts using relevant keywords.

Infographic: What do people share the most? Images, yes. Images are an effective social media content ideas -, especially regarding shares. Share some helpful information about your business, field, or industry by posting or creating your infographics.

Share your LinkedIn Groups: Many groups on LinkedIn are a great source of industry/business related info. If you find interesting information share the link with your social media followers so they can join too.

Weekly Roundup: Create a top 5 or top 10 list of business news, announcements and anything else you find to be awesome! Share this on a regular schedule will have your followers checking your pages’ week after week to get it. Think This week in…

Promote your Partner: Do you have other businesses or professionals that help you get business done? Someone that provides you parts or promotes your services? Plug them into your Social Media strategy by linking their websites or social channels. Ask others to promote your business too.

Solopreneurs and Entrepreneurs are urged to periodically launch marketing campaigns designed to promote the products and services sold and the brand. The purpose of marketing is to drive sales and generate revenues and profits, the life -blood of every business. In support of that suggestion, presented here is a review of the core components of a successful marketing campaign.

Step 1: Identify your target audience

Understand who you want your campaign to reach and influence. List the industry categories (e.g., for-profit, not-for-profit, social services, IT, hospitals, banking, etc.) and the job titles of your most frequent clients and most promising prospective clients. Members of the target market groups must have the motive and money to use your products or services.

Step 2: Know the competition

As you create your primary and secondary marketing campaign messages, keep your direct competitors in mind. The marketing message should promote the expertise, experience, judgment and attributes that make you superior to others with whom clients and prospects might do business. Your message should be designed to overcome current or potential objections to you and persuade those with motive and money to choose you, because hiring you will make them look good.

Step 3: Identify the primary and secondary marketing messages

What do you need to make known to current and potential clients that will help them to develop the trust and confidence required to do business with you? Refer to your knowledge of your target market groups and the competition, remembering also to reference client priorities and concerns and their objectives when using your products or services.

In the marketing messages, find ways to enhance your brand, that is, your reputation. Clients do business with those they know and like; they do even more business with those they trust and respect. Building up your image, or (tactfully) bragging about your already noteworthy brand will become the central elements of your marketing message.

Step 4: Select the media platforms

Decide which media platforms you will use to reach current and prospective clients. Marketing campaigns are most effective when they utilize more than one platform to broadcast the message to target markets. Comprehensive marketing campaigns will include a mix of online and print media platforms that feature text, visual and audio options, based on what the target audiences follow and trust.

Sponsorship of local charity events is yet another potentially effective marketing platform. When charity event sponsorships are part of your campaign, send a press release to local media outlets to request inclusion in additional media platforms. Newspaper items or radio announcements are always trusted more than paid advertisements, because news items are perceived as unbiased.

There is also an indirect and ongoing brand promotion campaign that marketing specialists are advised to conduct. Providers of B2B services are recommended to periodically schedule appearances as a host or visiting expert on webinars; serve as a panelist or moderator in programs that address topics the target audience will find relevant; speak at conferences the target audience would attend; or teach related courses or workshops as a way to enhance the value of the intangible resources that you sell, meaning, your expertise and judgment.

Step 5: Create a budget

Once you have your version of the ideal marketing plan in draft form, calculate its expected costs and the roll-out timeline. Make sure that the campaign ROI makes sense for your marketing goals. Align your marketing efforts to projected gross sales and don’t squander resources on fruitless initiatives.

Step 6: Track the campaign performance

Establishing goals and objectives for your marketing campaign are worthwhile activities. The process will guide you toward making decisions that positively impact the campaign design and furthermore, will help you understand what kind of influence you can wield through marketing activities. Decide what you want your marketing campaign to achieve and confirm the metrics that will measure and acknowledge its success or shortcomings.